Caledonian Railway

Introduction

Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit

This line provided a service from Carlisle to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Greenhill (near Falkirk). The company acquired other lines and later the services encompassed Aberdeen, Dundee, Forfar, Perth, Stirling, Oban, Ardrossan, Peebles and a large number of other locations.

The line given here was the original route of the Caledonian Railway before it purchased and built many more lines. Today there are plans to re-open the closed station at Beattock.

[Coalburn Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])Line re-authorised (this time independently but backed by the Caledonian Railway); route Motherwell to Ferniegair to Coalburn to Bankend, branch to Northfield.

/ /1853

[Edinburgh Station and Branches] ([Caledonian Railway])Slateford to a bay platform by the [Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway]s Haymarket station opened. Trains could run from the bay to Carstairs or Falkirk.

[Motherwell Deviation Line] ([Caledonian Railway])Line opened from Jerviston Junction ([Wishaw and Coltness Railway]) to Lesmahagow Junction ([Clydesdale Junction Railway]). The line allowed Motherwell station to be moved further west from Flemington to Lesmahagow Junction. Motherwell (Old) became Flemington and Motherwell (New) was opened in the V of the junction at Lesmahagow Junction. A large viaduct was required by Braidhurst.

[Coalburn Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])Nethan viaduct showing severe wear and tear, later Ferniegair bridge also shows wear both replaced, Ferniegair bridge still in use as part of the Hamilton Circle line.

24/06/1861

[Switchback] ([Caledonian Railway])Rutherglen to Dalmarnock goods opened along with a bridge over the River Clyde.

[Coalburn Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])Opened from Larkhall to Canderside to goods.

01/11/1862

[Coalburn Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])North Southfield to Southfield opened to minerals.

/ /1863

[Granton Branch] (Duke of Buccleuch and [Caledonian Railway])The [Caledonian Railway] buys the Duke of Buccleuchs share in the line.

11/05/1863

[Coalburn Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])Caledonian Railway authorised to double Motherwell to Southfield and to run passengers trains to Brocketsbrae, the Stonehouse branch and the Blackwood branch. The Caledonian Railway owns the Lesmahagow lines by this time.

Forth and Clyde Canal[Caledonian Railway]Forth and Clyde Canal (and various assets such as the [Grangemouth Railway]) bought by Caledonian Railway to compete with the [North British Railway] in the Forth Clyde Valley.

[Wilsontown Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])Opened with a triangular junction on the Edinburgh branch of the [Caledonian Railway]. A passenger service ran from Auchengray (where there was a bay platform) to Wilsontown.

29/05/1876

[Coalburn Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])Hamilton West to Ross Junction opened to freight.

29/05/1876

[Hamilton Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])Hamilton West to Ferniegair opened to freight.

[Leith North Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])[Granton Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])Passenger service starts. Stations opened at Craigleith, Murrayfield, Granton Road, Newhaven, Leith North. This required the opening of a new line between Newhaven Junction and Leith North for passenger services.

[Caledonian Railway][North British Railway][Alloa Railway][South Alloa Branch]North British Railway given running powers over the Alloa Railway and South Alloa Branch from Alloa to Greenhill Junction on payment of £3000 annually to the Caledonian Railway.

[Leith New Lines] ([Caledonian Railway])Leith New Lines planned; (Newhaven to Leith passenger terminus by [North British Railway]s Leith station, a triangular junction at Lochend with a line to Princes Street under the city with a branch to Waverley Market by Waverley station)

[Hamiltonhill Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])Branch to the Saracen foundry opened, but has to be closed as it was in breach of a formal agreement with the [North British Railway] which owned the nearby [Glasgow Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway].

[Leith New Lines] ([Caledonian Railway])Double track line opened to freight from Newhaven Junction to Seafield Junction and South Leith. (Two-platform passenger stations at Newhaven, Ferry Road and Leith Walk West built but not opened).

[Douglas Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])Some doubling of the Douglas Branch to Lanark Racecourse took place in preparation for the Lanark Aviation meeting and the huge number of expected visitors. Lanark Race-course station was by the meeting site

[Leith New Lines] ([Caledonian Railway])Seafield Engine shed leased to the [North British Railway].

01/01/1917

[Wishaw Deviation Line] ([Caledonian Railway])Overtown closed.

01/01/1919

[Wishaw Deviation Line] ([Caledonian Railway])Overtown re-opened.

/ /1920

[Wilsontown Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])Line was probably extended about this date 3.5 miles west to Kingshill Colliery No 2. There may already have been a short section open between Wilsontown and to the west of Climpy Road.

[Muirkirk and Lesmahagow Junction Railway][Coalburn Branch] ([Caledonian Railway])Douglas West (Poneil Junction) to Brocketsbrae closed to passengers (except a Saturdays only train using Alton Heights to Brocketsbrae until 2nd May 1942).

[Edinburgh Station and Branches] ([Caledonian Railway])Duff street connection opened (Duff Street Junction, at Haymarket on the [Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway] opened). This connection allowed Edinburgh Princes Street to be closed.

This was a two platform station with the main station building on the southbound platform. There was a goods yard on the east side of the line, approached by a long siding from the southbound line. ...

This is a long, wide and low concrete viaduct carrying three tracks. The viaduct was replaced for the opening of the Kingmoor Marshalling Yard. It crosses the River Esk and the floodplains to both north and south. It is carried on a large number of piers. ...

This was a two platform station immediately south of the England/Scotland Border at Sark Viaduct. The main station building was on the northbound platform and there was a goods yard on the east side, approached by reversal. ...

This junction was just to the north of the former Gretna [CR] station. The junction is now single lead junction for the route to Dumfries and double for the line north to Lockerbie. The Dumfries route doubles after leading the junction. ...

There are refuge loops at Quintinshill on both the north and south bound lines. The loops were installed in 1880. The location is just north of Gretna Junction. Quintinshill is the site of the Quintinshill Disaster. ...

This was a two platform station on an east-west alignment. The southbound (up) platform was to the north. The main station building was on the southbound platform. This was a crow-stepped gable building typical of the line. ...

This was a three platform station on the Glasgow-Carlisle main line. There were two main line platforms and a bay at the north end for the Moffat Railway. The station buildings were demolished after closure in the 1970s but the stationmaster's house, of a similar design, remains albeit in poor condition. ...

This was a two platform station with passing loops on either side of the line just to the north. The passing loops remain in use today but nothing remains of the station except nearby railway cottages and the former station forecourt. A siding here is in permanent way maintenance use. ...

This was a two platform station, replaced by a larger junction station to the north when the Symington, Biggar and Broughton Railway opened. The station was immediately north of the bridge over the A72. ...

A two platform station. When first opened a road crossed the station by level crossing (by Station Road). North of this was the goods yard, on the east side, with the passenger station to the south. ...

The 1867 Dolphinton [CR] line started from a junction which allowed trains from Carstairs station to join the branch. This branch severed the south to east 1848 curve (out of use from around 1860) and a replacement curve was built from Strawfrank Junction to Dolphinton Junction in 1872. ...

Auchengray was a three platform station to the north of a level crossing. There were two platforms on the main line and a bay (added around the time the Wilsontown branch opened, 1860 with a west to south curve creating a triangle in 1866) at the north end of the northbound platform. A small goods yard was at the north end, west side of the line. ...

Cobbinshaw [1st] station closed in 1875 and was replaced with this station. The second station was further south. This was a two platform station with the main building on the southbound platform. The platforms were in timber with timber station buildings. ...

This temporary station served the International Exhibition of Electricity, Engineering, General Inventions and Industries. This was laid out on the land later occupied by Slateford Yard, the Meggetland sports grounds lying south of the line at Slateford and west of Craiglockhart and housing at Meggetland, Ashley Drive and Ashley Gardens. The exhibition was also served by [[Exhibition ...

This was a major terminus in Edinburgh originally opened in 1870 and entirely rebuilt in 1894. In its final form, it had seven platforms, a 850 foot glass bayed roof and the "Caledonian Hotel", built 1899-1903. There was much in common with the architectural style of Glasgow Central station. On the concourse was a noted clock in a "wooden castle". ...

This is a two platform station with the main station building on the northbound platform. The original shelter on this platform was similar to that at Killin [2nd] reflecting the size of Cumbernauld before it became a 'New Town'. ...

The 1867 Dolphinton [CR] line started from a junction which allowed trains from Carstairs station to join the branch. This branch severed the south to east 1848 curve (out of use from around 1860) and a replacement curve was built from Strawfrank Junction to Dolphinton Junction in 1872. ...